A new study found that kids and teens that had concussions are worried about their academic performance. This burden becomes more difficult depending on the severity of the symptoms.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most people with a concussion recover quickly and fully but some experience the symptoms for days or longer. Some of the symptoms identified include difficulty thinking or remembering, headache and balance problems, irritability and anxiety, and some sleep problems.
Earlier studies had focused more on the effect of concussions on athletes. For instance, a recent study showed that more than half of football players suffer from concussions during practice. But little is known on the effects of concussions on non-football-playing students.
"Taking them off the field, not putting them back on the field with symptoms, but this is really looking at the student side of the equation," Gerard A. Gioia, study senior author of Children's National Health System in Rockville, Md., told Reuters Health.
The researchers involved 349 students ages 5 to 18 to observe their academic performance after suffering from a concussion. The participants were divided into two groups: those who had fully recovered and those who still had symptoms at the time of the study. Only 31 percent of the participants were fully recovered from their concussion. The students and their parents completed questionnaires asking about their academic performance, according to CNN.
The analysis showed that 60 percent of the students with symptoms were very worried about their academic performance following a concussion. Only 16 percent of those who recovered had the same concern.
Furthermore, high school students were more worried compared to middle school and younger students.
The researchers recommend that schools develop programs that can help assist children with concussions so that they can be prepared on the stress of schoolwork during and after recovery.
The study was published in the May 11 issue of the journal Pediatrics.
